Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
This salad is all about contrasts. The grapefruit adds a slightly tart punch to the creamy avocado, and the herbs add flavor and texture. This salad comes together in a flash because there’s no separate dressing—just a squeeze of lemon and a splash of olive oil.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 head butter lettuce
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt to taste
1 large ripe haas avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large sweet grapefruit, peeled, and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds, then quartered into 1-inch pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the lettuce, tarragon, parsley, mint, basil, and scallions in a large mixing bowl. Gently toss with the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Fold in the diced avocado and grapefruit gently so as not to break up the avocado.
Step 2
Divide the salad evenly among salad bowls and finish with a generous grind of pepper.
Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.
Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation.
Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick.
Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.
